Australia's role in Iran War to remain defensive, minister says

Swati Pandey, Bloomberg News on Mar 15, 2026

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Australia’s involvement in the escalating war in Iran will be limited to providing defensive support for partners in the Persian Gulf, a senior government official said, stopping short of committing to help protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S. seeks assistance from allies.

The center-left Labor government’s decision so far has been to assist the United Arab Emirates fend off Iranian attacks, particularly because a large number of Australians live and work there, Matt Thistlethwaite told Sky News in an interview on Monday.

“Obviously we’re continuing to monitor the situation,” he said. “Australia is not directly involved in this conflict, but we’ll do all we can to keep Australians in the region as safe as possible.”

“That’s the extent of our involvement at the moment,” he added.

The U.S. and Iran have signaled no letup in a conflict that’s brought shipping in the strategic Strait of Hormuz — a narrow waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula that carries about a fifth of global oil supplies — to a near standstill and upended energy markets.

President Donald Trump has urged other countries to send warships to keep open the key artery but offered no specifics or commitments from the U.S. side. Trump said he hoped China, France, Japan, South Korea and the U.K. would take part.

Asked whether Washington had requested Australian assistance to help protect the shipping lane, Thistlethwaite, assistant immigration minister in the Labor government, declined to comment on the matter.

“Look, I can’t disclose those sort of things. They’re national security matters. They’re determined by the National Security Committee of Cabinet,” he said. “I’m not a member.”

Last week, Australia said it would deploy a surveillance aircraft, personnel and missiles to the UAE to provide defensive support while ruling out offensive action.